Zanshin anchored in Simpson Bay
Zanshin anchored in Simpson Bay
Picture of Arnd

Arnd

2024-03-31 Easter Sunday

Slow Start

My morning was spent working on this website. I had a lot of smaller corrections and fixes to make and internal WordPress changes which would make the site work more efficiently.

Engine
Valve removal V1505
Valve removal V1505

I didn’t get a valve removal tool yesterday but made some judicious use of a wooden board, some elbow grease, and a dental pick to get the first valve removed. It took a long time to get those two little collets removed. 

Sooty valve removed
Sooty valve removed

When I got the valve removed, I was surprised at how much carbon buildup I found, it is very dirty indeed. And getting my hands cleaned up afterwards without making a huge mess in the galley wasn’t easy, either.

Engine Part II
Cylinder cover on table
Cylinder cover on table

I moved the cylinder cover from the floor to my table for better access, in the hopes that I could now remove the rest of the valve spring collets quickly. As you might expect my now, those hopes were dashed quickly. I am going to buy a spring compression tool next week after all or find a machine shop on the island to do the work for me.

Dinghy Cleaning Party
Explorer Island Beach
Explorer Island Beach

A group of sailors had arranged a Sunday dinghy cleaning party on Explorer Island. We’d bring cleaning implements, alcohol and food to grill on the beach at Explorer Island on the French side of the lagoon and pretend to clean the dinghy bottoms. I zipped over in the early afternoon, loaded with food, beverages in an insulated bag and implements of destruction.

Causeway Bridge
Causeway Bridge

But the island had no other dinghies in sight on the only beach. I returned to Zanshin, with a dirty dinghy bottom and warm beer. I couldn’t do anything about the dinghy, but the beer went back into the fridge.

Evening
Airport Road at night
Airport Road at night

I made the tail end of happy hour at the Soggy Dollar and remonstrated with Phil and Gary about their no-show at Explorer Island.

Red Diamond Adult Entertainment
Red Diamond Adult

I’d hoped to get a free drink from them, but that didn’t work out. I had a tasty meal at Bombay Bites before returning to Zanshin in the dark.